


Highway to Hell

by galactic-pirates (stillsearching47)



Category: California Solo (2012), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Rumbelle Order In The Court, Semi-Public Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 15:12:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10596615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillsearching47/pseuds/galactic-pirates
Summary: Written forOrder in the Court. When Lacey French gets hit with twenty hours of mandatory community service she’s furious, but she soon discovers that it has it’s perks when she meets Lachlan MacAldonich. However, it also has it’s problems. Soon she finds herself taking risks she would never have dared take before, including maybe breaking her golden rulenotto fall in love.





	1. Chapter 1

_‘This was total BS’_ Lacey thought angrily. Honestly what a load of crap! So she’d been drunk, so she’d screamed at some idiots, so freaking what? Getting slammed with a drunk and disorderly was just a bullshit charge, and this community service crap was fucking annoying. Growling she stabbed her trash picker forcefully through the can, digging it deep into the grass underneath. Nineteen more hours of this and she was done, she was counting the damn seconds.

“You break it, you buy it,” the man next to her pointed out.

Lacey whirled round, her eyes quickly raking him from head to toe. He was dressed far more appropriately for the work, in jeans and a light sweater. The California sunshine was nowhere to be seen today. Obviously the weather had decided to match her mood because working in the fucking drizzle made everything that much more dramatic. He was wearing dark glasses that told her he was working off a hangover and she instantly felt solidarity, along with a stab of attraction. She didn’t know if it was the gravelly Scottish accent, his long dark hair, or his lean build, but suddenly community service had an unexpected perk.

“You got that lecture too then?” Lacey snorted.

“Oh yes. I’m Lachlan.” Lachlan held out his gloved hand and smirking Lacey took it. “What brings you to this lovely place?”

“Drunk and disorderly.” Lacey shrugged. “You?”

“Pissing on the side of a wall when I was pissed,” Lachlan admitted. “My boss wasn’t pleased.”

“Well fuck him right? It’s not like you want to be here. You want to get a drink when we’re done?” Lacey asked casually, stabbing a chip packet and sticking it in the bag.

If nothing else, she was going to think for an extra second before chucking crap on the floor in future. This was disgusting demeaning work and totally unfair. She thought the punishment was supposed to fit the crime but what the hell had she done that was so wrong? She hadn’t hurt anyone? Now if she’d taken a swing at Keith like she’d thought about, then yeah maybe she would have accepted she deserved this, even if he had deserved the smack even more. I mean maybe her concept of law and order was a little screwed up, but wasn’t punishment supposed to put people off offending in future? Well this was going to do jack shit to change her because she didn’t think she’d done anything wrong.

Lacey looked at him pointedly, and gestured at him to prompt an answer. She couldn’t read his expression thanks to the large dark glasses but seriously why the hesitation? She glanced down but there was no sign of a wedding ring, and she didn’t do married guys, that was drama she didn’t need. So what was so hard about saying yes or no? Lacey looked down at herself; her tight short denim cut-offs, white ribbed tank-top, red jacket and sneakers. Usually if guys saw her legs they were tripping over themselves to get close to her.

“I’d love too,” Lachlan said, a slight smile on his face.

“Yeah well whatever, it’s not like it’s a big deal,” Lacey said uncomfortably.

He’d taken so long she was tempted to take the invitation back, if he wasn’t into her then she definitely wasn’t into him, but maybe the hangover was just slowing him down. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been there herself. She huffed in annoyance as she stabbed another piece of trash. Community service blowed, nineteen more fucking hours to go, she couldn’t wait.

*****

Hours later, laughing helplessly, Lacey staggered out of her local bar with Lachlan. When she’d first moved to California she’d had dreams of living in LA but the small town just outside the city suited her better. She wrapped an arm round him, resting her hand on his shoulder, as they started to stumble along the road. Their penance for the day had been duly served hours ago, and they’d headed straight for The Rabbit Hole. Lachlan lived on the Robinsons farm out in the middle of nowhere, so he’d driven in his truck to the meet point for the trash picking, and then on to the bar. He would have to get the truck later as they were both way too trashed to drive.

“Did you see the looks on their faces?” Lacey laughed.

“Well you did hustle them,” Lachlan teased. “Still there were definite compensations.”

Lacey arched an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Well yeah they got to watch you bend over the table in those shorts.” Lachlan winked and Lacey stopped abruptly.

Whatever had made Lachlan hesitate to accept her invitation had evaporated during the evening. His interest now couldn’t be more obvious which was a relief because she really wanted to fuck him. They were still two blocks from her shitty apartment but Lacey curled her hand around his neck, tugging him down and smashing her lips against his. For half a second he froze and then he responded, and it was like falling into a pit of fire. His lips slid against hers, his tongue licked and stroked, his teeth scraping; it was all heat and her back hitting the cool brick wall was a relief.

Lachlan pressed against her firmly, trapping her between him and the wall. She was at the good stage of being drunk, enough that she felt happy and buzzed, but not so much that she felt out of control. She arched against him and he rolled his hips making her smirk in satisfaction. He’d had a few drinks but clearly he was in the sweet spot as well, she could feel him hardening rapidly and that was exactly what she wanted. The slight scrape of the brick against her back added to the sensations. With a groan Lachlan tore his lips from hers, and started kissing down her neck, his hand skimming her skin as he hesitated at her waist.

“Your place?” Lachlan whispered in between kisses.

Lacey’s skin was humming with arousal. She wriggled her hips, the crotch of her g-string and shorts were teasing her, rubbing gently with every movement. On the other side of the street a couple of wide-eyed teenagers walked past and Lacey grabbed Lachlan’s hair, tugging him to her for another bruising kiss. They were on the fast track to putting on one hell of a show and damn her if she didn’t find that a little exciting. However, she didn’t want to actually traumatize any kids so they needed to move off the street.

She’d fucked in an alley before; her legs wrapped round the guys waist, one hand around his shoulders for leverage, the other furiously rubbing her clit. She’d managed to get herself off in the end but the scent from the nearby dumpster had made it difficult, she’d found it a bit of a mood killer. She looked around, there had to be somewhere, and there was, a small park just a little further down the street.

“Come with me,” Lacey said breathlessly.

Lachlan stepped back and she grabbed his hand, guiding him down the street. His expression of confusion as she jumped the fence of the park was adorable, but he gamely hopped the fence after her without asking a question. He was probably focused on getting in her pants, and would follow her anywhere for that, but still she liked a guy that didn’t question her every damn move. One of her ex-boyfriends had been a complete douche, tried treating her like he owned her, like he knew best all the time. She’d kicked him in the balls and moved on. Nobody chose her fate but her.

Lacey’s hands went for Lachlan’s belt, swiftly undoing it and then unbuttoning his trousers. She pushed his chest and he stumbled backwards, sitting down heavily on the bench behind him. Lacey licked her lips, aware her expression was probably sinful and not really caring. She was going to fuck him like this, ride him on the bench. It was dark, the park wasn’t lit, they’d be no more than moving shadows unless anyone got really close and they could stop if that happened. However, the reality didn’t erase the thrill.

“Lacey,” Lachlan murmured, reaching for her. “Really? Here?”

“You got a problem with that?” Lacey challenged, as she wriggled out of her shorts and g-string, placing them on the bench next to them. She straddled him, biting her lip at the feeling of denim against her.

Lachlan licked his lips. “No, no problem.”

“Good,” Lacey hissed, kissing him furiously again.

This time Lachlan didn’t hesitate at all. One arm wrapped round her, holding her close, the other darted beneath her top, sliding up to unclip her bra and then cup her breast. He squeezed and then growled, drawing his hand back out to tug the hem of her tank-top down, probably stretching the material beyond repair. He mouthed at her breast, his tongue swirling, and his teeth tugging. Lacey rocked her hips. She’d been wet most of the evening, thinking about fucking him, and the location just made her desperate.

Lacey grabbed for her shorts, groping in the pocket for the condom she kept there. Lachlan hissed as she reached down and pulled his cock out. The darkness meant she couldn’t get a good look but he felt good in her hand. She stroked him teasingly as she carefully put the condom on. While she did so Lachlan wasn’t idle. His hand stroked down her back to squeeze her arse, and then slip in between her legs. He groaned the second he touched her, the second he felt how wet she was. Shaking slightly Lacey rose and lined them up, sinking down onto him.

Her mouth fell open, her eyes crossing. Fuck, he felt good inside her, thick and long but not so large it was painful. She rocked against him, Lachlan yanking on her shirt again to mouth at her neglected breast. Then she began to ride him in earnest. Lachlan’s groans were like a chorus in her ears, disguising the noises that she couldn’t help but make. His hand darted down to press against her, the rough calluses on his hand providing delicious friction.

She could feel herself building, she could feel him getting harder and she knew he was going to come, and fuck she was so close. Lachlan pinched her clit and Lacey threw her head back, her climax roaring through her. She felt him jerk, moan something that could have been her name, and spill himself into the condom. Lacey collapsed against him, both of them gasping for breath.

“Fuck,” Lachlan swore. “Fuck that was good.”

Lacey rolled off him and stood up, willing her legs to stop shaking as she grabbed for her underwear and shorts. “Yeah it was alright.”

“Alright?” Lachlan snorted. “I think my brains blew out.” He grabbed the condom and threw it in the trash bin next to the bench, and tucked his cock back in his pants. “So do you ... do you wanna go ...”

“You can’t drive home until the morning,” Lacey pointed out neutrally. “So you can crash at mine.”

“Great.” Lachlan smiled crookedly at her, his expression just visible at this distance through the gloom.

He stood up, buttoned up his pants and refastened the belt, and gestured for her to lead the way. Lacey swung her hips a little more than was necessary, and debated whether to insist he made himself useful in return for letting him crash at hers. She didn’t want to come across too eager, he might get the wrong idea, but despite what she’d said that sex had been fucking good. If he wasn’t ready to go again tonight, she was sure they could have a quick fuck before he left, or maybe she could ask him to put his tongue to good use.

She wasn’t usually a fan of oral because the guys she’d dated had been shit at it, and it was hard to get herself off that way. However, the guys she dated usually just laid there, or played with her breasts for their own pleasure, when she rode them. Lachlan had touched her without prompting, and she had seen fucking stars. Not that she would tell him that. Although she certainly wasn’t adverse to him complimenting her. Yeah this community service gig definitely had it’s compensations.

*****

Lacey frowned, as she looked at the caller ID on her cellphone, the number wasn’t in her contacts which meant it probably wasn’t anyone she wanted to talk with. The bus was late and she was bored kicking the sidewalk. There was a lady with a stroller sitting in the bus shelter, with one of those kind faces, and Lacey could just tell she was trying to work out a conversation opener. Being with a baby all day probably made her desperate for conversation but Lacey really wasn’t in the mood for the polite condescension.

“Hey,” Lacey answered.

“Hi, it’s ... it’s Lachlan,” Lachlan opened awkwardly.

Lacey’s jaw dropped, she felt like a damn feather could knock her over. Seriously, nobody could be more surprised than she was right now. When Lachlan had dragged himself out of bed that morning, bleary eyed, looking as hungover as she’d felt, he’d asked for her number. She’d scribbled it on the back of a takeout menu and thought nothing of it. She’d never thought he would actually call. They had another afternoon of community service in a couple of days and she’d assumed that would be the next time she’d see him. In her experience guys paid lip-service to ‘I’ll call you’ and then never did and there was always some excuse.

“You forget something?” Lacey asked.

“No, no, I just ... I had a great time last night,” Lachlan continued.

“Hoping for a repeat performance?” Lacey smirked. “That could be arranged.”

They hadn’t had a second fuck last night. By the time they’d got back to her place, the combination of the booze and the orgasm had them both collapsing into bed. She’d had hopes for the morning but the second Lachlan had caught sight of the clock, he’d blanched and started swearing. Farm workers started early and he was already late. Lacey frowned at herself, Lachlan was just a guy and yeah their one fuck had been pretty damn good but that didn’t mean anything. She liked that he was into her but she didn’t want him to get clingy, she didn’t do clingy guys. No-strings fuck, no feelings and no commitment, that was how she rolled. She needed to watch herself, this wasn’t the time to start confusing great sex with anything more.

“I was wondering whether you’d like to come over? I could pick you up,” Lachlan invited.

Lacey thought about it for a moment before shrugging. She did want to see him again and whether it was his place or hers didn’t really matter. Given that he had to get up early for work, it made sense for it to be his place and the middle of fucking nowhere might have it’s advantages.

“I’ll drive myself,” Lacey said firmly. “Be there for seven.”

“Sounds great,” Lachlan agreed. “Do you need directions?”

“Nah it’s cool,” Lacey told him. “See you later.”

She hung up and checked her watch. She had enough time to go home, shower and change, before she had to start driving. She didn’t actually have a car of her own but her ex-flatmate owed her for skipping out on the lease of their last apartment. Ruby had met the love of her life one night at their favorite nightclub, and she’d all but moved in with Dorothy within a week. Lacey was pleased she was happy of course but without Ruby paying her half of the rent, she’d had to move to the shitty one-bed where she currently lived.

Ruby only used the car occasionally as she walked to work, so Lacey was certain she would let her borrow it. She could have let Lachlan pick her up but then she would have been stranded out there with no way out, no way she was doing that. Idly Lacey wondered what Lachlan’s place looked like, you could tell a lot about a guy from his place. Even if he tried to clean up because he knew she was coming, there would still be a lot to see.

*****

Lachlan’s place wasn’t hard to find. Google maps had directed her to the Robinson’s farm and the laborers apartments were pretty obvious to spot, plus she recognized Lachlan’s truck out front. She pulled Ruby’s red car up behind it, blocking him in, not that it mattered because neither of them were going anywhere. She jogged up the steps and knocked smartly on the door. A moment later Lachlan opened it, a smile crossing his face when he saw it was her.

“Hey,” Lachlan greeted.

He hesitated for a moment before moving to kiss her cheek. Lacey rolled her eyes and slid her fingers into his hair, pulling him down for a proper kiss. “Hey yourself.”

She pushed past him into the apartment, glancing round. There was a sagging couch on the wall next to the door, a desk with a computer and a microphone next to the dining table in the center. The kitchen was directly opposite, it was sort of U-shaped with a counter separating it from the living space. Lacey took a deep breath, and nodded appreciatively. She couldn’t smell anything other than the faint scent of dinner and Lachlan’s citrus aftershave. That was a definite step-up from most guys apartments. Truthfully hers probably smelt worse sometimes, as she really hated doing dishes and sometimes they stacked up in the sink.

“Nice place,” Lacey complimented, her eyes settling on the two guitars. She twisted to look at him. “You didn’t say you were a musician?”

“Long time ago,” Lachlan muttered.

Lacey looked at him disbelievingly. There was a story there because these guitars were free of dust, which was something she couldn’t say for the shelves. The fact that he had two of them, and they were clearly expensive, said that he’d been serious about music once upon a time. The fact that they were on display, and maintained, rather than packed in a case somewhere, said that it was still part of his life now.

“Play me something,” Lacey requested.

Lachlan shook his head. “I don’t do that anymore.” He strolled over to the coffee table and picked up the opened bottle of whiskey. “You want a drink?”

“Sure,” Lacey agreed.

So whatever the story was, it wasn’t pleasant. Well everyone had shit they didn’t want to talk about in their past, she certainly did. Her curious side wanted to know, she liked peeling back the layers and getting to the truth, it was a trait that had got her into trouble over the years. At the same time she didn’t want Lachlan prying into her past, so it was probably best to let sleeping dogs do what they do best. If he wanted to tell her then he would and besides, no feelings and no commitment, spilling secrets involved trust and that meant a relationship rather than a fuck. She wasn’t here for that.

Lachlan grabbed another glass and poured a generous measure. He held it out for her and Lacey took it, slamming back half of it and relishing the burn. She turned her attention to his shelves, there were a lot of records here, more evidence of music being a big deal to him. Only people mad for music had records, everyone else downloaded and didn’t give a shit about the loss of quality. She had to say he had good taste, there was a ton of old school rock. She mostly listened to electronica club mixes, and sometimes when nobody was looking cheesy romantic ballads, but she liked a bit of rock.

“Can we put one of these on?” Lacey asked.

“Yeah, go for it.” Lachlan finished his drink and poured another.

He held up the bottle and Lacey nodded, slamming back the rest of her drink and letting him refill it. She grabbed one of the records and held it up, Lachlan nodded in approval and she pulled it out of the sleeve, letting Lachlan take it and set the record player up. A minute later there was a crackle and then the sound of a guitar echoed through the apartment. Lachlan smiled at her and she sashayed over, kissing him and tasting the whiskey on his breath.

She turned and gestured to the computer. “So what’s with the mike?”


	2. Chapter 2

“We killed the bottle,” Lacey sniggered with a hint of disbelief.

“We did yeah.” Lachlan laughed.

Lacey’s stomach felt like she was on a rollercoaster when he smiled at her. They were sprawled on the couch, his arm was round her and she could feel his warmth against her side. The record had stopped playing a while back but neither of them had got up to do anything about it; instead just passing the bottle back and forth, refilling the glasses and sipping the whiskey. She’d not really noticed how much they’d been drinking until the last of the bottle dripped in her glass.

The last couple of hours had just gone by in a haze of booze and music, they’d talked a little about nothing important, it was hard to remember. She shifted, thinking she’d stand up and slipped off the couch. She burst into laughter, she was absolutely trashed, like a hundred percent drunk. In fact she didn’t think she’d been this drunk in months at least. Lacey ran her hand up Lachlan’s leg, feeling the rough denim under her fingers. Now she was down here, perhaps there was something more fun than drinking they could do.

She fumbled at his belt and Lachlan looked at her in confusion for a long moment before realizing what she was doing. He hastily moved to help, which caused another round of laughter as neither of them could get his belt undone. Finally, Lachlan’s trousers and boxers were shoved down to his ankles and Lacey cupped his cock. He was soft but then she hadn’t exactly given him any warning. She palmed him, stroking lightly to get him going. She quite liked the feeling of a cock hardening in her mouth but she wasn’t sucking him from nothing.

Lachlan groaned and grimaced and she squeezed him a little harder, his hips shifted in tandem with her hand but nothing was happening. He looked down, his expression of complete betrayal as he glared at his cock.

“This doesn’t usually happen,” Lachlan complained.

Gingerly Lacey got to her feet, staggering back, her head spinning. They were both on the wrong side of drunk but now the idea had entered her head, she was desperately horny. She wanted to fuck and this was a real disappointment. Lachlan lumbered to his feet, tripping over his trousers and collapsing back onto the couch. He kicked them off and got up again, holding out his hand.

“Bedroom?” Lachlan offered. Lacey licked her lips and nodded. Lachlan took her hand and Lacey stumbled after him, he collided with the door frame and all but fell onto the bed. “Come here,” he coaxed.

Lacey crawled into his arms and moved to kiss him, their noses collided and she reared back at the stab of pain. She tried again and this time their lips met. The kiss was sloppy, far too wet but utterly fucking perfect. Her skin prickled, she felt almost like she was floating and the pressure of his lips was all that was keeping her grounded. Lachlan flopped onto his back and she straddled him, rubbing against him. She just wanted him to touch her. His hands roamed, sliding under her top and Lacey hissed with satisfaction, grateful beyond belief that she hadn’t worn a bra.

“I’m going to lick you,” Lachlan promised, squeezing her breasts, his thumbs circling her nipples in a maddening motion. “I’m going to fuck you with my tongue and my fingers, until you come, and then I’m going to lick you clean and do it all over again.”

“Well go on then,” Lacey gasped breathlessly.

She rolled off him, shoving at her skirt, he could just flip it up but she wanted to watch, she wanted to see his head between her thighs. Lachlan turned and there was an awkward moment of clumsy maneuvering, as he helped yank her skirt and panties down. Her legs flopped open and Lachlan’s hand skimmed up one leg, as he kissed and licked up the other, tugging the skin a little with his teeth making her ache for him.

Her hand moved to palm her own breast, suddenly realizing that neither of them had taken off their shirts. Still Lachlan looked damn good in white and she didn’t care. She wriggled impatiently and Lachlan chuckled before finally lowering his head. His hair tickled her thighs and she bit her tongue, feeling the faint puff of air as he breathed against her. The bastard was making her wait, and the anticipation stretched until finally his tongue darted out, just a flicker of a lick. She whined, and then he started in earnest.

Lacey threw her head back. He was fucking everywhere, one second licking in broad strokes, the next swirling around just barely touching her, then teasing her entrance. She bucked her hips, her heart was hammering in her chest. It felt fucking fantastic but it wasn’t enough, she couldn’t feel herself building. Lachlan pressed one finger inside her and she moaned, feeling herself getting wetter, his finger curling and rubbing to coax more from her. He groaned in satisfaction and her jaw fell open at the vibrations.

For several long minutes she just floated along in a haze of pleasure. She wanted to come, she didn’t do marathon sex sessions, she just wanted to get off, but it wasn’t spiking high enough. He pushed a third finger inside her, thrusting rhythmically and idly she wondered if his tongue was getting tired. He hadn’t touched her clit in a while, maybe he was too drunk to notice or maybe he was avoiding it and she wondered if he was purposefully teasing her. Lacey got her answer a second later as his tongue flickered against it.

She screamed, it was so sensitive and she could feel herself spiral. She was so close, so fucking close, she just needed something more but she didn’t know what. The answer was his teeth lightly scraping her, and she snapped, her climax roaring through her. Lacey collapsed boneless and Lachlan coaxed her thought it before crawling up next to her. She kissed him, tasting herself on him and smirking a little at the thought. Her last thought before passing out was that she’d been right last night, he was as good with his tongue as he was with his hands and his cock.

*****

Two days later and Lacey still felt hungover. She’d remembered the next morning why she generally didn’t get _that_ drunk and resolved not to split an entire bottle of whiskey again any time soon. She and Lachlan had taken turns throwing up in his bathroom, before he’d downed a coffee and headed to work, and she’d slipped shakily behind the wheel of Ruby’s car. Lacey was fairly certain that she’d still been slightly drunk but she got home without incident. Where she collapsed into bed, called in sick and resolved to make a new rule, no getting half that drunk on a work night.

The sun was high in the sky, the California weather back with a fucking vengeance and not even her extra-strength dark glasses could keep out the glare. Misery loved company and Lachlan looked as miserable as she felt, as they both stood waiting for the community service officer to announce their assignment for the afternoon. Picking up trash in the boiling sun was cruel and unusual, the only thing Lacey wanted to do in this sun was stretch out and get a tan.

“L and L, you can talk the north walkway,” the community service officer announced, reading the assignment from off his clipboard.

“L and L? Really? It’s not like MacAldonich is that hard of a name to say,” Lachlan griped. “Bet they think it’s bloody Irish as well. I’m Scottish.”

“Lachlan, Lacey, they do start the same way,” Lacey pointed out with a shrug.

Her eyes gleamed as she had a sudden thought. The north walkway, all alone, no supervision. She licked her lips, a plan coming to mind. She wasn’t entirely sure why she liked Lachlan so much, he was a good fuck, one of the rare few who cared about her pleasure and not just his own. She’d been too drunk to really think about it at the time but, when he couldn’t get it up, he’d gone down on her, and she’d never had anyone do that. No guy had ever cared enough.

Still that didn’t completely explain her feelings, which were starting to run dangerously close to actual feelings. She had never craved being with anyone like this before. They’d risked public indecency the day they’d met but that had been at night, when they were more than a little trashed and coming home from the bar.

This was sober, during the day, and that was a much bigger risk but maybe they didn’t have to fuck. That thought disturbed her even more but then if it was a choice between making out with Lachlan, like they were teenagers, or picking up other people’s garbage, then obviously Lachlan would win every time. Spending their mandatory community service hours on more pleasant pursuits was definitely a better use of their time.

With that in mind Lacey strolled over to the north walkway without complaint. Lachlan groaned when they got there, it looked like somebody had half emptied a dumpster, trash was strewn all across the ground, the lighter items like chip packets skittering on the concrete as the breeze pushed them around.

“Well this will take all fucking afternoon,” Lachlan groaned in annoyance.

Lacey glanced around, they were shielded down here. There was the bank to their left, and the industrial estate to the right. The bridge was above, the cream stone reflecting the bright sunshine and from a distance gleaming. Up close it was as grubby as anything else near the city, just another illusion of LA county. There was a spot against the bridge, where nobody would be able to spot them. The officer would come to check on them eventually but hopefully not for a while. The last time he’d given out assignments and then gone for coffee, they had at least half an hour.

“Hey come here,” Lacey coaxed.

She smirked and winked, backing up against the pillar, dropping her trash picker to the ground and yanking off her gloves. Lachlan looked at her bemused, before following suit. The second he was within arms reach she tugged him flush against her, cradling him in between her thighs. She licked her lips in invitation and Lachlan hummed in amusement, as he slid his lips against hers.

At first a gentle pressure and then he sucked on her bottom lip, his tongue darting in to taste her. Lacey’s arms curled round his neck, one hand tangling in his hair. She moaned softly, he was a damn good kisser and she could feel him hardening against her. She wanted him but if they didn’t get to that until later, she was content enough with this.

“What are you doing?” They sprang apart, Lacey’s heart hammered in her chest as the community service officer strode forward, irritation etched on his features.

“Isn’t it obvious,” Lachlan quipped, and the officers expression turned thunderous.

“This isn’t an afternoon at the pleasure park. You are supposed to be paying your debt to society. Just, don’t move,” the officer growled, reaching in his pocket for his cell phone. “I need to report this, it’s a violation of your service order.”

“Oh come on, we were just taking a little break,” Lacey argued.

The officer held up his finger and Lacey’s eyes flared with anger, she hated it when people did that. She glanced at Lachlan who shrugged apologetically, and she returned the gesture. It wasn’t his fault, it was hers really, but they’d both agreed to it and at least the officer had turned up then and not five minutes later. Lacey had been getting tempted to go further and an indecency charge would have made this situation a lot worse. Lachlan grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, and Lacey’s stomach lurched uncomfortably. That was a gesture of comfort, that wasn’t sexual, but she returned the pressure and didn’t pull away. A moment later the officer got off the phone.

“Right, it’s your lucky day,” the officer said darkly. “The parole officer was in a good mood. I don’t know if you are both just too stupid to realize how light your original sentences were, or if you just like to push your luck. Today’s violation should have reinstated your charges but instead it’s been agreed that your hours will just be increased. Fifty hours each.”

“Fifty!” Lacey shrieked. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Don’t swear at me!” the officer barked. “You brought this on yourself.” He gestured down the walkway at the trash littering the place. “Now get to it. That trash won’t pick itself up.”

Grumbling to herself, Lacey bent down and angrily yanked her gloves back on. Quietly Lachlan wandered over and collected his to do the same. She stabbed the first piece of trash viciously, hearing the trash picker scrape against the concrete. Fifty fucking hours for a stolen kiss? The parole officer hadn’t been in a good mood, he was a fucking sadist, this was beyond bullshit. Lacey’s chest heaved with indignation, and she ground her teeth together, wracking her brains for something they could do. Trouble was there wasn’t anything, you couldn’t fight the system, that’s why they were here in the first place.

She glanced over at Lachlan, who was working several feet away, under the watchful gaze of the officer who seemed to be settling into stay. When they were done, they would head to the bar and they’d brainstorm. If they couldn’t get out of the fifty fucking ridiculous hours, then maybe they could get even somehow. It wouldn’t do anything to help but then at least she might feel a little better. She shot a poisonous glare at the officer, who looked unimpressed, she hadn’t forgotten that he’d called her stupid either. How fucking dare he? Just because they were on this stupid community service detail didn’t mean that they didn’t deserve respect. She growled, they weren’t going to get away with this.

*****

Lacey side-eyed Lachlan who looked far too fucking amused given the situation. She had thought he would have been as pissed off as she was but instead he was just reluctantly resigned. She wanted to rant and rave, rage at the situation and the idiots that had caused it, but it was very hard to hold onto her anger without anything to feed it. She gestured for the bartender to give them another round.

“I’m just saying we should do something,” Lacey repeated. “I know we can’t fight it but seriously aren’t you mad?”

“Livid,” Lachlan said dryly, making Lacey snort with laughter and damn him she didn’t want to laugh. “It is what it is you know, I just want to do the hours and move on. My boss is pissed enough already.”

Lacey sighed and slammed back half her glass, she was feeling pleasantly buzzed which meant it was probably time to stop. She was going to drag Lachlan back to her apartment and ride him until they were both sweaty, sticky and satisfied. Tomorrow was Sunday so they didn’t have to work. Maybe Lachlan would stay and they could spend the day in bed. She’d never done that before, she always kicked the guys out first thing in the morning, but it was just more sex so it was really no big deal. Thinking of sex, that gave her an idea.

A wicked grin crossed Lacey’s face. “I know what we should do.”

“What?” Lachlan asked warily.

She leant forward to whisper in his ear, teasingly she darted her tongue out and licked, making him jump. “They gave us fifty hours for kissing, we should at least earn the damn punishment. Let’s go to their offices, fuck on the desk.”

Lachlan’s eyes widened in alarm, and they flickered over her expression. “You’re serious?” he breathed.

Lacey shrugged and sat back on her stool, knocking back the rest of her whiskey. “Why the hell not? You up for it?”

“I think it’s a little crazy.” A slow smile spread across Lachlan’s face, his eyes gleaming, and he shrugged. “But why the fuck not indeed? So long as they don’t have security cameras.”

“A parole office?” Lacey snorted. “Bet you they are broken, if there even are any.”

Lachlan nodded in agreement. “Yeah I suppose it’s like leaving money at the police station,” he mused. “Some fucker’s going to nick it. Alright let’s go.”

*****

By the time they’d reached the parole office Lacey was starting to have second thoughts. This had to be the craziest thing she’d ever contemplated doing, and she wasn’t anywhere near drunk enough to blame it on the booze. The problem was she’d never had a partner like Lachlan before, someone that she could do crazy shit with like this. She either hadn’t trusted her previous partners enough or they wouldn’t have agreed. In this small town, the parole office was a satellite office and a single story building.

“I can’t see any cameras and I was pretty good at spotting them once upon a time, fucking paparazzi,” Lachlan muttered absently.

Lacey frowned, what the hell did the paparazzi have to do with anything? She shook her head, it was to do with Lachlan’s past and she wasn’t going there, not yet anyway. If they were doing this then she needed to focus on the present, not on the mysteries of the past. She grabbed him and kissed him forcefully. He grunted in surprise before responding with enthusiasm.

“This is crazy,” Lacey whispered.

“You want to walk away?” Lachlan checked. “We don’t have to do this.”

“I know, I want to.” Lacey smiled.

Her skin felt too tight and her heart was hammering in her chest. The adrenaline was starting to flow as this idea became real, and she rubbed her thighs together. Lachlan checked the door and then the window, snorting and shaking his head. One minute the window looked closed and the next he’d pushed it up, leaving an opening large enough for them to pull themselves through.

“No security and it’s not even locked.” Lachlan snorted. “Don’t even need my misspent youth.” With a grunt he hauled himself up, ungainly flopping a little as he balanced on the sill before dropping inside. He then reached out a hand and helped Lacey through the window. He shook his head. “No cameras in here either. The office must be too small.”

“I really don’t care.” Lacey laughed, tugging on his arm.

There were only two desks in the room and they’d both been here before. She backed against the one that belonged to their parole officer, pulling Lachlan to stand between her legs. She kissed him hard, writhing against him. His hands wrapped round her, slipping under her top to skim her back. Everywhere he touched her, it felt like there were sparks and she shivered. It was almost too much, the sensations were so heightened. Her hands left his hair to fumble at his belt.

“How do you want to do this?” Lacey whispered against his mouth. Lachlan hesitated and she kissed him again, shoving his trousers and boxers to the floor. “Like this or ...” she twisted in his arms so she was bent over the desk instead, rubbing her arse against his cock. “Like this?”

Lachlan groaned, and she felt his hands tug at her zipper, and strong hands yank the skirt and her underwear down. His hand darted between her legs and she spread them a little more, hissing with pleasure as he stroked her. She felt dizzy, she wanted him so badly. She felt his cock slide against her and she bit her lip and whimpered before freezing.

“Wait, condom, skirt pocket,” Lacey gasped.

“Fuck,” Lachlan swore, reaching down to grab it and then fumbling with the little packet.

Lacey’s blood felt like ice, terror flooding her at the prospect of having nearly forgotten protection. It probably wouldn’t have been the end of the world. She was clean, she’d been tested since her previous partner, and from Lachlan’s comments it had been a while for him so she was fairly certain he’d be clean as well. She also took the pill, to try and be doubly sure, but she sometimes forgot, and missed doses, which meant it was no fucking good at all. That was why she always insisted on the condom, that and the question mark about STD’s, it was always better to be safe than fucking sorry.

Lachlan kissed her neck, blowing the loose tendrils of hair that has escaped the tie out of the way. She shivered and her hips shunted backwards, biting back a moan as she felt his cock slide against her again. This was the place for a good hard fuck, not for teasing, but for a couple of dozen frantic heartbeats, he languidly thrust between her legs. Lacey bit her lip, her hands scrabbling against the desk for something to hold onto. If he didn’t fuck her properly then she was either going to scream, come hard just from this, or both. Then finally she felt the head of him against her and he slowly pressed inside.

He groaned, keeping the slow slide going until he bottomed out. Then he started to thrust hard, gripping her hips tight enough to leave bruises. Lacey gasped and arched her back, her vision whiting out as she came hard.

“Oh Lacey, you feel fantastic,” Lachlan growled, as he fucked her through it. “So good to fuck, so damn good.”

She could feel him hardening further and knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. “Come for me,” Lacey coaxed. “Come inside me.”

Lachlan slammed into her twice more and then with a guttural groan, she felt him pulse and release into the condom. He slumped against her back, gasping for breath, for a long moment before staggering back. Lacey’s legs trembled, that was the problem with sex in interesting locations. You had to hurry up and leave. Not that she was one for basking in the afterglow, but then she wasn’t usually quite so well satisfied.

Clumsily she reached for her skirt and saw Lachlan holding the condom and looking confused. She sniggered, a wicked thought coming over her. It wasn't like they’d do DNA testing on something so trivial, she wasn’t in the system anyway, and revenge wasn’t as sweet if they didn’t know anything had happened.

“Drop it in their trash,” Lacey suggested. “Let them wonder.”

Lachlan smirked and did just that, before righting his own clothing. A couple of minutes later and he was helping her clamber out of the window again. The second both their feet hit the ground, they started running. There was no need, they weren’t being chased, but it just felt like the thing to do. They made it a block before they slowed, too out of breath and overcome with laughter to run anymore. Lacey really couldn’t believe they’d just done that. It was so crazy but it had been damn good as well. Lachlan kissed her, pushing her up against the brick wall and Lacey growled, scratching his neck as she grabbed his hair.

“My place,” Lacey managed in between kisses. “I want you naked for once.”

He laughed and took her hand, and then they were strolling down the street. Lacey felt his hand in hers, the rough calluses from working in the fields against her softer skin. It was fucked up, but even with everything else they’d done tonight, the scariest thing was how right his hand felt in hers. For the first time ever Lacey suddenly ached to know how Lachlan felt about her. She could tell he liked to fuck her but was it any deeper than that?

The not knowing freaked her out and she wanted to tell him to leave, that she didn’t want to see him anymore. That would be a lie but it would be safer. She turned to tell him and he smiled at her and the words died on her tongue. She’d tell him tomorrow, she’d kick him out first thing and that would be it, then she could get back to normal. Just one more night.


	3. Chapter 3

_Three Weeks Later..._

“Fuck that’s good,” Lacey moaned.

“It’s just pasta.” Lachlan laughed.

“Hey it wasn’t delivered, and it didn’t get nuked in the microwave,” Lacey argued. She smirked, and licked her lips speculatively. “You know I might have to keep you.”

Lachlan rolled his eyes and Lacey relaxed, she’d regretted those impulsive words the moment they’d left her mouth. Just as she regretted being here, and regretted not having kicked Lachlan out; and regretted accepting his calls, and calling him, and agreeing to invitations, and even making the fucking invitations. She just couldn’t stop and those slips, where her tongue ran away with her, were happening more and more often. She was getting comfortable and she should walk away, she should, because this was only going to end one way. She had to protect her heart.

He waved the bottle at her and Lacey shook her head, watching with a slight frown as he refilled his own glass. She liked a drink herself so it hadn’t really registered at first, but it was now starting to dawn on her that she’d never seen Lachlan sober. Well, aside from their appointed community service hours, and the second they were done they headed for the bar, or to her place or his where there was a waiting bottle. That wasn’t good as it really begged the question, could he stop if he wanted to stop? Did Lachlan just like a drink or was he an alcoholic? She didn’t know and she was starting to think she should find out before it was too late.

She glanced over at the guitars and bit her lip. She hadn’t mentioned them since her first visit and maybe it was time. “Are you ever going to play me something?” Lacey teased.

Lachlan looked pained for a moment and tossed back half the glass. “I suppose I could,” he agreed reluctantly, standing up like a man about to go to his execution.

“Hey if you don’t want to then don’t,” Lacey said uncomfortably.

She’d asked to prompt him into talking, maybe opening up a little because while she wanted to run screaming at the idea, it felt like it was time for that. However, she really didn’t do heavy emotional crap so she didn’t know what she’d been thinking. It was all such a fucking mess but she didn’t want to leave, and she kinda hated herself a little bit for that. Life would be so much easier if she could just turn her back on Lachlan MacAldonich.

“No, no it’s fine,” Lachlan muttered, picking up the acoustic guitar.

He sat on couch and ran his hands softly over it, almost in remembrance, before he picked up the pick and experimentally strummed a few chords. He smiled at her and Lacey found herself smiling back in encouragement. Then his hands seemed to fall into a sequence and he started to sing. Lacey barely breathed as she listened. He would probably claim he was rusty but he sounded damn good to her. She watched his fingers move hypnotically over the strings and clenched her thighs together. Perhaps that explained why he was so good with his hands.

Finally he stopped, he’d smiled at her a few times while he sang, but Lacey got the feeling he’d almost forgotten she was there. His expression twisted in torment and she curled her hand into a fist, digging her nails into her palm. It was time for her to do the brave thing, and hope bravery followed. She needed to prompt him to talk, to let her in, and that was the scariest thing she could imagine. She was tempted just to jump him instead, fuck him until they both forgot all their problems, and she probably would do that later, but for now she was going to at least _try_.

“Why did you stop playing?” Lacey asked.

Lachlan cleared his throat and stared at the floor. “I was in a band you know, The Cranks ...”

“I’ve heard of them,” Lacey interrupted in surprise. With Lachlan’s offhand comment last month about paparazzi she’d wondered, but she’d never have guessed he’d been that big of a deal.

“Yeah, yeah.” Lachlan shrugged. “It was a crazy time and my brother Jed ... well he died and ... and it was my fault so well ...”

Abruptly he stood up, swiftly placing the guitar back on the stand, before striding over to the bottle. He poured himself a large measure and knocked it back, before pouring another one. Lacey said nothing, she didn’t know what to fucking say. His brother was dead and he felt guilty, she didn’t know the circumstances and she shied away from knowing. What difference did it make anyway? He felt how he felt, and dead was dead, there wasn’t anything that could be done about it. Though she knew Lachlan had been on the farm for years, so whatever happened had happened a long time ago, whatever he’d done he’d suffered enough.

“I’m sorry,” Lacey offered eventually.

“Yeah me too,” Lachlan muttered, as he finished his drink.

His hand moved back to the bottle and the next thing Lacey knew she’d grabbed it. She stared at her hand in confusion and Lachlan looked at her questioningly.

“Come to bed,” Lacey coaxed. “I want you.”

Lachlan smirked, and she could almost see his demons retreating behind the wall that kept them at bay. “That’s good,” he growled. “Because I want you too.”

*****

“Oh shit.” Lachlan sighed a few days later, groaning he flopped down onto the mattress and rolled onto his back. “Box is empty, should have bought some at the store.”

“We used my last one earlier,” Lacey added.

Her body was still humming with arousal but no condom meant they couldn’t fuck. They could do other things but she was annoyed now and that was quickly killing her buzz. She could see Lachlan’s cock starting to soften and she wondered if he felt the same. If he didn't she’d go down on him if he wanted, because she knew he’d more than return the favor afterwards.

She turned onto her side, her hand running up his chest. “We could ...”

“No best not to risk it,” Lachlan interrupted quickly. “That’s how my daughter happened.”

Lacey froze. Her mind split in two, the irreverent part noted snidely that he’d finished her sentence incorrectly. She hadn’t been about to suggest they fuck anyway as she wasn’t willing to risk it. The other part of her brain was stuck on a loop. Lachlan had a daughter? Why the fuck had that never come up?

“You have a daughter,” Lacey repeated, surprised at how calm she sounded.

“Yeah.” Lachlan shrugged, like it was no big deal. “Though I haven’t seen her since she was little.”

“You haven’t seen her.” Lacey abruptly turned and rolled out of bed, grabbing for her clothes. Lachlan sat up frowning and she just stared at him in disbelief. “Why the fuck not?”

“Well it was a mutual decision. Her mother said I was unfit and yeah I was never meant to be a dad. She knew that she was signing on for a party but a father?” Lachlan explained, starting off awkward but quickly warming to his excuses.

Lacey just looked at him in horror and shook her head. “No. No, just no.”

She finished yanking up her leather pants and threw her shirt over her head as she headed for the door. Behind her she heard Lachlan stumbling and cursing as he leapt out of bed to follow her. She twisted when she got to the front door, Lachlan was butt naked and even now she couldn’t help but note how unfairly attractive he was. However, she wasn’t doing this. She’d put up with a lot from Lachlan but not this, never this.

“Lacey what the hell? What’s the matter?” Lachlan demanded.

“You can screw up your own life but I’m not going to stay here and watch you screw up a kids,” Lacey told him honestly.

“How am I screwing it up? I told you I haven’t seen Arianwen since she was little,” Lachlan objected, his face a mask of confusion.

He looked around helplessly, eventually spotting his jeans in a heap in the kitchen. Lacey snorted, he wasn’t wrong, this was the kind of conversation that demanded pants. It just wasn’t a conversation she really felt prepared to have. Lachlan’s unexpected revelation had cut deep, exposing wounds that she’d thought she’d patched up but in reality just ignored. She wasn’t really yelling at him, though he did fucking deserve it. Honestly, did he really not have a clue what his poor daughter must be going through?

Lacey waited until after he’d pulled his jeans on before asking him. “You not seeing her is kinda the point. For crying out loud Lachlan do you know what that does to a kid? She probably thinks there’s something wrong with her. You need to at least go tell her that it’s you who is the fucking mess. How old is she?”

“I’m not sure,” Lachlan admitted. Lacey’s eyes flashed in fury and he winced. “She’s a teenager, I know that. Look I don’t even know how to find them. It’s not like I have a number or anything.”

“You don’t even have a number.” Lacey shook her head in disgust.

“I can get one,” Lachlan offered hastily. “Please Lacey I’m sorry.”

“It’s not me that you need to apologize too,” Lacey snapped, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes felt watery and the last thing she wanted to do was fucking cry in front of him. She needed to leave - now.

“I know, I know, I’ve been a bastard,” Lachlan said soothingly, moving forward. He wrapped his arm round her and Lacey tensed, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. “I’ve been a selfish bastard alright I know that. Look I’ll make it right, I promise.”

Against her better judgment Lacey relaxed into his arms. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to believe the best of him. Maybe it was just that time had screwed him over. She knew how that worked from painful personal experience. He’d left for some reason, and then it had never seemed the right time to go back, and then it felt like it had been too long and it was easier just to let it go. Maybe he’d been waiting for something, or somebody, to prod him into action. Otherwise it was just too easy to avoid it because it would be difficult, emotional and painful and all that personal crap.

“Was your father ...?” Lachlan asked uncomfortably, his words muffled by her hair.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Lacey interrupted quickly. “You want to watch a movie?”

“Sure,” Lachlan agreed. “Whatever you want sweetheart.”

*****

Lacey stared at the bar, it was polished, relatively free of fingerprints and water stains, the mark of a classy place, not somewhere she would usually choose. These places always made her feel inadequate and she was Lacey fucking French, nothing and no place had the right to make her feel that way. She ran her finger around the rim of her soda glass and glanced over to where Lachlan was sitting, waiting at an empty table. It had taken over a week, and a drive to LA, but he’d located his ex-wife Catherine and she’d eventually agreed that he could meet his daughter.

They’d been early which was entirely down to her. She’d worried about how long the drive to LA would take and she’d pushed, and cajoled, anxious despite herself about being late. Usually she was fashionably late to everything, it usually paid to make people wait, but for something like this the very thought made her feel sick. Imagining Lachlan’s kid sitting waiting, certain with every passing minute that their dad wasn’t actually going to show, that this was just some kind of joke, that they weren’t worth showing up for, it was more than she could bear.

Finally a mother and daughter started walking through the restaurant. There was no outward sign that it was Catherine and Arianwen but Lacey just knew that it was. She shifted uncomfortably, no wonder the mother had picked a classy place, she looked like a classy lady. Lacey hadn’t wanted to intrude on this reunion but Lachlan had insisted that she didn’t have to meet them, he just wanted her close. His eyes had practically begged her, and she hadn’t had the heart to refuse. She’d picked out her most demure outfit but she still didn’t feel like she fit in.

Lachlan’s busy patterned shirt should have looked ridiculous but somehow it suited him, and everywhere he went. Lacey wasn’t sure if that was Lachlan’s personal skill, or just something to do with men in general. Either way she was irrationally annoyed by it. She was uncomfortable, out of place, and this was awkward as fuck. Lachlan had made his own bed with this mess, it was up to him to fix it, she really shouldn’t be here. Yet, she’d agreed anyway.

She watched as Lachlan smiled at his daughter, and kissed his ex-wife on the cheek. They exchanged banter about the mimosa he’d ordered and his dark glasses, which he slipped off and hung over his shirt. Lacey listened with half an ear and a frown formed, deepening with every passing moment.

“It was a crazy time.” Lachlan laughed.

“But school’s important,” Catherine interrupted hastily.

Lachlan pulled a face, winked at Arianwen and laughed. “So Arianwen ...”

“Ari,” Catherine corrected. “She prefers Ari.”

“It’s alright mom,” Arianwen muttered quietly.

“Arianwen is a good name,” Lachlan argued.

“That nobody can spell,” Catherine shot back.

Lacey tensed, forcing herself to let go of her soda glass before she cracked it. She took a deep breath. Her every instinct was screaming at her to run, she needed to leave, she couldn’t be here. She needed to go, find a dive bar, hustle a few games of pool to cover her tab and drink until the world felt fuzzy and good again. If she was lucky then a guy would walk in early, before she was too trashed to make a good choice, and they’d flirt until she was done and then she’d take him home and fuck him. That was a comfortable reality, that was her life, not this mess which burned and stung and made her froth with hate.

“So we should hit a concert some time,” Lachlan suggested.

“We agreed to coffee because Ari’s therapist thought she should meet you,” Catherine said frankly in refusal.

“Well we’ve done that.” Lachlan smiled, ignoring the implication and blindly pressing on. “I want you to meet Lacey, and I want to take you somewhere, share music with you. I really want you to get me you know? Now, I haven’t been in a while but there’s some good indie bands ...”

Lacey couldn’t take it anymore. Lachlan hadn’t even asked if his daughter liked music. The constant _‘I want, I want, I want’_ echoed around in her mind. It wasn’t fucking about him, it wasn’t about what he wanted, or what he wanted to do. This was about his daughter, he hadn’t asked her a single question. Not about school, not about her favorite subjects, not about her interests or her friends. It was like he didn’t care. Lacey’s blood froze. That was exactly it wasn’t it? Lachlan didn’t fucking care.

“A word,” Lacey growled, stalking over to the table before she’d even really thought about it.

Lachlan blinked at her in surprise. She’d been adamant that she’d stay at the bar. He smiled and gestured to her. “This is Lacey, I want ...”

“Outside, now!” Lacey snapped.

She strode toward the exit, not bothering to check if Lachlan was following, she was certain that he would. This was all such a fucking mess and it was her fault. She’d caused this and bile flooded her throat. She swallowed convulsively, not wanting to puke in the carefully trimmed hedgerow for all the classy people to see and sneer, and look down their fucking noses at her.

“Lacey, what the hell?” Lachlan demanded.

He ran a hand through his hair, confusion etched on his face. He sounded more bewildered than angry and that just made her even more furious. How could he not know? How could he not understand?

“I take it back,” Lacey spat. “I take it all fucking back. You don’t want to actually be here do you? I was wrong. You might not be selfish in the sack but you are selfish.” Lachlan’s jaw dropped and she could see the spark of anger growing in his eyes. Good, she liked anger, she could deal with anger. “Only try for a relationship with your kid if you actually want one, and if you are prepared to do what’s best for her and not just what’s best for you.”

“Lacey! Fuck!” Lachlan swore. “You’re the one that told me I had to make it right.”

“I shouldn’t have,” Lacey hissed. “You’re only doing this because I wanted it, and so you can keep getting in my pants. Well no more, we are done.”

She turned, her heels clacking on the concrete of the parking lot as she strode, head held high towards the road. She’d need to find a bus, or get the train, or something to get home. They’d driven up together in Lachlan’s truck and there was no fucking way she was letting him give her a ride home. She’d call Ruby to come get her if she absolutely had to but she wasn’t accepting one more thing from Lachlan MacAldonich.

“Fuck you then,” Lachlan shouted angrily after her.

Her shoulders tensed but she didn’t turn, she didn’t give him the satisfaction. They were done, it was finally over, and she was the biggest fool in the fucking world. She should have walked away weeks ago, she’d known that it wasn’t going to end well but the sex was amazing. Lacey blinked, sniffed and violently scrubbed away a tear. Who the fuck was she kidding? She could lie to everyone else but she did try and not lie to herself. It had never just been about the sex.

Somehow Lachlan had wormed his way past her defenses. She pretended she didn’t care to protect herself, but damn him he had made her care. She’d been physically attracted to him from the start, but quickly she’d grown to appreciate his humor, and his wit. She’d felt comfortable with him even when they weren’t fucking, and then there were the layers. Lacey snorted, that was her problem all over. Simple people did nothing for her, she liked mysteries, peeling back the layers and getting to know people on a deeper level. It was weird because she hated it when people tried to peek behind her mask, her secrets were her own.

Ruby had sagely told her once, that maybe she liked feeling trusted, even if she wasn’t prepared to extend the same trust. It didn’t matter, it was all fucked up, and now it was over. Lacey bit her lip hard, trying to hold back the tears. She wasn’t going to cry over him, she didn’t do shit like that. Men came and went, that was what they did best. That was why her heart was never part of the deal. She was Lacey French, she took what she wanted and she didn’t fall in love. A sob escaped her throat and Lacey wrapped her arms around herself, as she kept on walking. She didn’t fall in love, she didn’t go in for that crap, but just like everything else when it came to Lachlan, she seemed to have done it anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

_A Week Later..._

Lacey groaned and glared daggers at the apartment door. Whomever was knocking at the door could just fuck off. Her eyes flickered to the clock and she pouted, it wasn’t actually that late but she wasn’t up for visitors right now. The sagging couch was surprisingly comfortable, she had her comfy pajamas on and a blanket. It wasn’t quite the cliché break-up scene from all those moronic romantic comedies, with tears and tissues and copious amounts of icecream. She was just feeling like she needed a little down time. Her bank account was telling her that if she wanted to eat next month, getting pissed at the bar every night wasn’t really an option.

Besides that wasn’t all there was to her, a barfly with a talent for hustling pool. If anyone asked she’d always say she preferred the movie but the boxes of books hidden under her bed told a slightly different story. Her unwanted visitor knocked again and she scowled, unfortunately it seemed they weren’t telepathic. Lacey huffed in annoyance and pursed her lips, wondering if she could get away with ignoring them. Trouble was she had the light on, and they could probably hear the TV, so that wasn’t going to fly even if they did eventually give up.

Reluctantly she levered herself up and stalked over to the door, forcefully throwing it open. Whatever insult she’d been about to hurl died in her throat. She hadn’t really had any idea who her mystery visitor could have been, and she probably should have checked with the peep hole first, but she’d been annoyed. However, the last person she had expected to see on her doorstep was Lachlan.

“What the fuck do you want?” Lacey asked tiredly, she should be angry but really she just didn’t want to deal with this shit anymore.

“Can I come in?” Lachlan returned.

Lacey snorted. “Why? We kinda said it all.”

Despite her words Lacey moved back and let him step inside. She pushed the door closed behind him and then wandered over to the kitchen counter, leaning against it with her arms folded, the full width of the tiny patchwork living room in between them. He’d seen her naked, and they covered more skin than some of her bar outfits, but somehow she felt more naked and vulnerable in these pajamas. They weren’t sexy, they were comfortable. The top was too big and covered her hands, and it had some stupid pattern on it. She wasn’t wearing any makeup; she was stripped bare and nobody ever saw her like this.

“I’m sober,” Lachlan started. He smiled self-deprecatingly. “You can check if you’d like.”

Lacey shook her head, she didn’t want to get close enough to him for that, and she hadn’t smelled booze on his breath as he’d brushed past her. She’d take his word on it for now, though she didn’t get why it was important. Lachlan’s refuge was the bottle, it was hers as well a lot of the time, and quite frankly if they were going to have the kind of conversation it felt like they were going to have, she was far too sober for it.

“Alright, well ...” Lachlan rubbed his hands on his jeans and cleared his throat. “I’m a screw-up, I’ve screwed-up everything that mattered my whole life. I killed my brother and I’ve been running from it ever since. I had family back then, but fuck knows if they are still alive, and they probably think I’m dead. I couldn’t face them ... I can’t face them, I can’t go back.”

His expression was agonized and Lacey could barely stand to look at him. Why the fuck was he doing this? Why was he here? Her eyes skittered around the apartment but they kept coming back to him. She should say something but she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t do big emotional confessions and besides aside from mentioning his family, he’d kind of told her this before. What was he trying to pull?

“Lacey ...” Lachlan’s voice cracked. “I ... I’m really fucking sorry alright? You know I thought I was doing alright, I’d made a life for myself but then there was you and ... I went home after ... last week and I looked around my place.” He shook his head. “I might have had a drink or the bottle.” He chuckled hoarsely. “I realized how empty my life is without you and ...”

“Shut up!” Lacey whispered. “Just shut up.” She blinked furiously, she would not fucking cry. “I don’t want to hear that.”

“I don’t really want to say it,” Lachlan quipped, his crooked smile flashing across his face. “I love you and I’ve missed you. There, now I’ll shut up.”

Lacey swallowed. Damn him, where the fuck did he get off saying all that? She didn’t know what to do, she wanted to scream, she wanted to rage at him for doing this to her. He’d hurt her, she’d spend the last week pretending she wasn’t crying over him. The next thing she knew she was standing in front of him, grabbing him and yanking him down for a furious kiss. Her hands twisted in his hair, gripping to the point of pain.

“I love you too, you arsehole,” Lacey growled, forcing herself to take a step back. Lachlan looked fairly shell-shocked and she wanted to make sure that he heard her. “I’m not going to stand for any crap. I meant what I said last week.”

“I know,” Lachlan said softly. “You were right. Arianwen does like music, she’s in a band though her mother doesn’t approve. She’s a good student, loves all her classes. She likes roller-blading, baseball games and her favorite color is blue.”

“You saw her again?” Lacey muttered in disbelief.

Lachlan nodded. “I spoke with Catherine as well. She liked you, though she said you were too good for me.”

“She said that?” Lacey repeated, dazed. She’d felt like trash next to Lachlan’s ex-wife, she looked so cultured and put together, and besides they hadn’t exchanged one word.

“Catherine said you talked a lot of sense. She’d like to meet you if you’re willing, then maybe in the future the both of us could take Arianwen to a baseball game or something,” Lachlan explained awkwardly. “Your choice of course. I know it’s not what you signed up for.”

“I need to think about it,” Lacey allowed.

Her mind was spinning, it was too much, too fast and she didn’t know what the fuck she wanted. About the only thing that she was sure about was that Lachlan was here, and even though half of her was screaming that he would only hurt her, she wanted him to stay and never leave. The safe thing to do would be to drag him into the bedroom, fuck him until they both forgot their own names. However, since when had she ever done the safe thing when Lachlan was concerned?

“Watch the rest of the movie with me?” Lacey asked, hating how small and unsure her voice sounded. She tensed, caught between fight and flight, maybe she’d just drag him into the bedroom anyway.

“Sure,” Lachlan agreed with a smile.

He shrugged off his denim jacket, leaving him in a tight black t-shirt, and he took a seat at one end of the couch. Hesitantly, Lacey wandered over and curled up next to him, pulling his arms round her and settling back against his chest. His warmth washed over her and she took a deep breath, she couldn’t smell any booze, he’d made that confession completely sober and that meant a lot. That meant he wasn’t hiding. It would have taken a lot for him to come here and he’d done it anyway, which backed up his words with actions, which meant she could trust what he’d said.

Lacey clicked the remote, and the movie restarted. This wasn’t her, she didn’t do this. She wasn’t the relationship kind, she didn’t curl up on the couch in comfy pajamas and watch movies. She’d never wanted any of this but it felt right, it felt like a missing piece had just slotted into place. It could all go horribly wrong tomorrow but she’d never really been one to think very far ahead. The present was messy enough without getting into the future.

Who the hell would have thought that screaming at a few idiots, getting slammed with a bullshit charge and mandated community service, would have led to this? Maybe rather than fucking on his desk, they should have sent that parole officer a fruit basket. Lacey had always figured that anything in life that was worth anything scared the crap out of her. That had been the way with leaving home, and moving across the country, and both of those things had been for the best. Hopefully loving Lachlan MacAldonich would be the same, only time would tell.


End file.
